A New Kingdom's Curse
by Tenebrosa
Summary: Link's dreams have been showing him strange images. When something strange shows up in the Lost Woods, he's off for another adventure.
1. Dreams and a Discovery

Link awoke in a daze. He shook his head, trying to clear the last bits of confusion lingering from his dream. _What was it? I saw...mushrooms?_ He sat up and gazed around the dark room. Soft moonlight shone through the arched window to land on the stone floor of his room.

"Why was I dreaming about mushrooms?" Link shook his head again and lay back down on his bed. He looked over into the center of the room to see the pedestal there, where the small golden triangle lay on its velvet pillow. He closed his eyes and slowly drifted back into sleep.

Link explained his dream to Zelda later that day as they rode through the castle's gardens. "It's a vision Link."

"You think all dreams are visions." Link rubbed the back of Epona's neck as he spoke. "Can't something just be a dream?"

"Well, do you normally dream about something so strange? It has to be some kind of vision."

"You really think so?" Link gave her a skeptical look. "What do mushrooms have to do with destiny?"

Just as Link was finishing, a castle guard rode up to the two. He quickly saluted before climbing off the back of the unsaddled horse. "A messenger has arrived from Kokiri Village on behalf of the Deku Tree."

Link instantly tensed up at the mention of the village. "What's wrong?"

"I was just given a letter about something strange in the forest."

"Take me to the messenger." Link glanced over to Zelda. "I'll return soon. I swear." Zelda only smiled and nodded in consent.

The guard remounted and the two of them raced off towards the castle.

The little deku scrub sat on the signpost kicking his legs while looking at the yellow flower he had picked on his way to the town. He looked over patiently at the lowered drawbridge that led to Castle Town. The guard had left quite a while ago to get the man in green.

The sound of horses' hooves on wood drew the deku's attention back to the bridge. The nice man in armor and the man in green sat on horses at the end of the bridge. The one in armor waved and turned around, heading back into town. The one in green got off the horse and walked it over to where the scrub was sitting.

Link stopped short of the scrub and looked him over. The scrub wore a green tunic and long stocking hat much like his own. Link knelt down so that he came face to face with the little deku scrub. "Wanna show me to the village?"

The little scrub hopped off the signpost, squeaking with joy. He raised his hands up and Link picked the little guy up and sat him on the front of the saddle. Then Link jumped up and spurred Epona into full gallop.

Link and the scrub arrived in the Kokiri village a short time later and headed straight for the entrance to the Lost Woods. Leaving Epona in the care of the fairy children, the scrub took off into the trees, Link following closely behind.

Running into a clearing, Link tripped over the scrub, sending them both hurtling into the short grass beyond the trees. Link straightened his hat and tunic. "Why did you stop? What's going o..."

Link stood, his mouth hanging open. In the center of the clearing was an object, something Link had not seen for ages, not since his adventure in Termina. "What is that doing in the Lost Woods?" Link looked back at the deku scrub, who only shrugged his shoulders and cocked his head to the side.

In the center of the clearing was a large, green pipe standing up out of the grass.


	2. Investigation in the Lost Woods

Link hung on the edge of the pipe's lip, looking down into it. After a few feet the light failed and distance was impossible to measure. He raised himself up and swung a leg over the edge so he could sit. He rubbed his chest to ease away the pain from hanging on the pipe. Link glanced to the side to check on the kid. The deku scrub was sitting in the green grass with his legs pulled up to chest and watching Link.

He thought for a second before opening a pocket in his bandoleer and pulling out an arrowhead. A thin layer of wax covered the metal, which Link rubbed off before quickly dropping the head into the pipe. It burst into flame after a few feet and fell into the darkness. Soon it blinked out in the depths. "How deep is this thing?"

The deku jumped up and began squeaking at Link. "What is it?"

The little scrub pointed to the edge of the clearing. Link shielded his eyes from the sun and looked to where the scrub had pointed. Several of the Kokiri were trying to hide behind the trees. He swung his legs around so he faced the children. Link cupped his mouth and shouted. "It's all right. You can come over."

With that, a dozen of the children ran out from the cover of the trees and into the open space. One blonde-haired girl walked up to the green pipe and looked up at Link. "Are you going into it?"

Link glanced down into the pipe and turned back to the girl. "I really don't know yet."

"Well we brought you some things in case you decided to." The Kokiri girl pointed to a blanket spread out a little ways away. Several bottles and packs of arrows sat scattered over the blanket among deku sticks and nuts.

"Thank you."

Back in the Kokiri village, the fairy children were fighting to keep Epona under control. She kicked and reared as the Kokira tried to drag her into one of the stables on the edge of the village. The stable master cried out to them as he ran in through the gate. "What's going on?"

"We don't know. She's not letting us put her in a stall."

All three of the Kokiri boys turned as a fairy came flying in, the sound of bells announcing her arrival. "Something's happening out in the forest!"

The thing had arrived suddenly without any notice. It rose up through the pipe and knocked Link off the lip. All the Kokiri ran for the edge of the clearing to watch what happened. Link picked himself up off the grass to look at the new arrival.

It was a turtle with a large head and overly large, red shell. It waddled to edge of the pipe and fell, pulling itself into the shell before it hit the ground. Link stared at the thing as it rolled around on the grass, trying to right itself.

One of the Kokiri girls yelled out to Link. "Is it safe?"

Link turned and merely shrugged his shoulders. As he turned, the turtle had popped out of its shell and crawled over to the man's foot. Link looked down just as the turtle bit down on the leather boot. "Hey!"

Link swung his leg and the turtle flew off, slamming into the pipe and disappearing into the shell once more. Link walked over and looked down at the red shell. "How did it get up the pipe?"

A whiff of fog rose from the pipe then and up rose a small cloud. The man looked at it as it appeared. _Is it just shadows or does the cloud have a smiling face?_ The little cloud floated over the turtle shell and stopped. Link backed up to see what was going to happen.

Up out of the cloud popped up a curious looking turtle wearing goggles. In its hands it held a fishing rod. A little hook lowered and snatched the red turtle shell, lifting it into the air. The two turtles supported by the cloud then drifted back over the pipe and began to descend. "Hey!" Link yelled and dove forward onto the pipe.

The strange things had already disappeared into the darkness of the green pipe. Link grabbed for the lip of the pipe to lift himself back up. Moisture from the strange little clouds had condensed on the metal, however, and Link's hand slipped from its hold. Link fell into the pipe and slipped into darkness.


End file.
